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WOODY MANN interview
This interview first appeared in The Acoustic Guitar Workshop's free monthly eZine, Acoustic Guitar Review. Details at http://www.acousticguitarworkshop.com home of acoustic blues tuition online. Email info@acousticguitarworkshop.com Woody Mann had his first musical schooling in the living room of Rev. Gary Davis, the now legendary blues, gospel and ragtime guitarist. Learn more about Woody, and even learn from Woody, through this interview and Woody Mann's own website. See the interview at: http://www.guitarsam.com/interviews/woody-mann.htm
--Dear Edly: I've visited your site recently and was encouraged to write because of the reviews of your book 'Edly Paints the Ivories Blue'. I get discouraged by the progress of many of my students. It seems so little time is used practicing, I wonder what causes them to think that it's even possible to retain any resulting progress from one lesson to the next. As a matter of fact, lessons are becoming more like supervised practice sessions. Any assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated. I really want to encourage my students, and I see myself as patient and complimentary with them, but, those qualities just don't seem to get the job done. I'm 26, I've taught for almost four years, I teach all styles except jazz & classical. I've recently had upwards of forty students. I have formal training in neither music nor teaching.
You're young, haven't been teaching for long, and from the sound of it, have had few or no teachers from which you can model your approach. That's a lot of counts against you. I'm hoping you are both a good player, and an intuitive teacher. You're definitely doing something right if you've had more than 40 students at a time.
Do I understand you correctly when you say you have "no formal training" in music, that you are self-taught? Early on, I made it a habit of asking how much the student practiced since the last lesson. Some answer very specifically. Adults are almost always completely honest. Older teens too. Younger than that, the less specific the response, the less the student practiced, guaranteed. I'll say this: patience is a virtue, but there comes a time to say to a student: "You're not practicing enough to achieve the critical mass necessary to progress. I'd suggest you consider whether the amount of time you're putting in justifies your shelling out your (or your parents') hard earned bucks for these lessons." Certainly, if it's a child, then the parent needs to be involved in this discussion.
See our tell-all interview with Edly from March 2000, at www.guitarsam.com/interviews/edly.htm
Richard
Hunter...Harmonica
Q+A
If you have questions about harmonica playing technique, use of different keys, bending, blowing, maintaining and so on, send them to us at kevin@guitarsam.com, and we'll have harmonica virtuoso Richard Hunter provide an expert answer for you. --A reader asks: Does a chromatic harp play like a standard harp if you don't use the lever? --Richard answers: A chromatic harp played without the lever won't play like a standard diatonic harp, for two reasons: 1) The scale layout is different. A standard harp has the fifth degree of the scale (G on a C harmonica) doubled in the bottom octave, and is missing several scale notes (F and A in the bottom octave, B in the top octave). A C chromatic does not have the fifth degree of the scale doubled, has a complete diatonic scale (when you don't use the slide) in every octave, and has the tonic note (C on a C chromatic) doubled (tripled, when you use the slide!) in every octave (except the bottom). In short, the funky runs that work so well on a diatonic harp can't be duplicated on a chromatic, because the layout is different. 2) A standard diatonic harp has no valves; a chromatic is usually valved through at least the first two octaves. The valves make the chromatic more air-tight, but they also restrict the degree to which you can "bend" notes, so the chromatic won't make the very deep, soulful bends you can get on a diatonic. Some chromatic players remove some of the valves in the first or second octave to get around this problem, but it's still not quite the same. In general, the chromatic and the diatonic are different instruments, with different sounds, feels, and capabilities, and they should be approached that way. Stevie Wonder (who plays chromatic) doesn't sound like Little Walter (who plays diatonic), and aren't we all better off because of that? Thanks!
Chip
Wilson...Guitar
Tech-Talk
Musician/luthier Chip Wilson lives in New Orleans, LA. Chip worked with Borys Guitars when master archtop builder James L. D'Aquisto served as a consultant, before opening his own business, Better Guitars. Better Guitars served as an authorized repair shop for most of the top US guitar manufacturers. Chip recently wrote a book review for Guitarmaker, the quarterly publication of ASIA. Chip is now primarily a performer in New Orleans, typically playing 25 to 30 gigs per month, as a soloist, sideman, and with his own band A Jumpin' Somethin'. His 1999 release "A Jumpin' Somethin" was nominated for Best Traditional Jazz CD By A Louisiana Artist by Offbeat Magazine, the most widely distributed Louisiana music publication. Chip is currently working on a new CD for release in 2000. "A Jumpin' Somethin" can be obtained online at www.louisianamusicfactory.com, or by contacting Chip at jumpinsomethin@aol.com
A reader asks: Does the style of a tailpiece, as well as how it’s mounted, affect the sound of an archtop electric guitar? Chip answers: Of course it does. Any part affects guitar performance. Electric archtops have been made with Bigsby vibratos, the trapeze (both ES-125 simple, or Byrdland elaborate), Epiphone Frequensators (two tailpieces, one much longer than the other), the early Les Paul combination bridge and tailpiece, the classic Gibson style stud mounted (or stop) tailpiece, and the violinistic creations of Bob Benedetto. Many mid-60s Gibson ES-335 players with trapeze tailpieces replaced them with stop tailpieces in order to achieve the sound of earlier 335s. A stop tailpiece sustains longer and has a more definitive attack. The simple stop tailpiece is a small solid piece of metal on two posts…there is simply less string energy lost with the simpler, rigidly mounted setup. The long arms of the trapeze, and the way it is suspended by string tension, all conspire to rob it of sustain.
The tailpiece mounting is crucial to sound, as well. The Ibanez George Benson Models have a two-sided trapeze with adjustable lengths. The guitars I have built, and the models that inspired them, have height-adjustable tailpieces. The available adjustments in string tension and length can make a guitar tighter sounding, acoustically louder, and even affect playability, all through lengthening the string or adjusting the tailpiece height, and the subsequent angle off of the bridge. Stop tailpieces are usually adjusted flush to the guitar body, but try raising yours if you have that style: you might find some pleasant surprises in sound, playability, and frequency of string breakage.
Chip's Tip of the Month Here’s a vaguely related discourse on archtop guitars for this months “Tip of the Month” (Yeah, I know. I don’t have one every month, but…). Do you have a problem with your wooden bridge base sliding around, messing up the string spacing over the neck and the intonation as well? I’ve seen them rubber cemented down, even screwed down, right into a nice spruce top (ouch!). Try scraping some violin rosin onto a piece of paper, and then grinding it up into a powder. Loosen the strings, put the powder on the top underneath the bridge, spread it around to level it (not too much is necessary), and set the bridge in place. The adhesion supplied by the rosin is just about right to keep the bridge from sliding, unless you really hit it hard. The rosin is okay for the finish, and it’s just a better vibe altogether than hitting the thing with some big old woodscrews.
Ever wonder how someone could be so good at what they do? Do you wonder if you could ever be as good as your favorite guitar player? Well, I'm here to tell you that you can! I'm also here to give you some insight as to how. There are several principles you must adhere to if you are to ever get to a level of great playing. Some of these principles are not just for guitar players. They apply to anything in life that you're trying to accomplish that's worth accomplishing. 1) DEDICATION You MUST devote yourself to the task at hand. This can be difficult if you "don't seem to have the time" to play or practice. You will have to sacrifice some things in order to make time for your music. For example, Friday nights may be reserved as your weekly night to go to the movies with your friends. It may be a good idea to forget that for a while and use the time more constructively to develop your chops. 2) PRACTICE Now that you've set aside time for your guitar playing, make sure you use it for what it was intended! You've brushed off your movie friends (who want you to be a famous guitarist anyway, right?) and now you're at home free and clear to practice. BUT, you see that the season finale of Star Trek is on tonight! DON'T GIVE IN! TAPE IT! GO PLAY YOUR GUITAR!
Do you know how many times you can play a G major scale in 15 minutes? Somewhere around 90! That's 90 repetitions closer toward you becoming an expert! You could even break this hour into six 10 minute intervals if you want. You will be surprised at how much you can accomplish in an hour of structured practice. 3) PERSEVERANCE Now that you have dedicated the time, and are using that time to practice, make sure you STICK WITH IT! If Fridays at 6pm is your time to practice, don't let other things interfere with that time. Now, as everyone knows..."Life Happens". If you see your time being violated, make it up Saturday or Sunday. Try not to skip your practice time completely because it will "open the door" to letting it happen again and again. 4) FOCUS Now that you are devoting the time to practice, you need to really concentrate on what you are doing. For example, if you're learning to sweep pick that Em arpeggio, you may notice that at a certain point in the sweep, you have a problem moving your fingers. Isolate your "problem spot" and just repeat that spot over and over. Pay attention to every move your hands are making. Also pay attention to your nerves. Are you relaxed or tense when trying to do this? You need to stay relaxed of course. I have actually helped students play better by just having them concentrate on relaxing! 5) PATIENCE This is a BIGGIE! You can't be a guitar hero overnight or even after one year. There is so much involved with being a really good musician. Just because you see someone play real fast, does not make them a good musician.
Your playing and musicianship will mature with time. Heck, I went to dinner last week with Michael Fath and he was telling me how he was studying with some guy who was a master at a particular style because "there is always something else to learn". "The more you know, the more you realize what you don't know". Oh yeah...patience..."if you practice, it will come". Give yourself credit for being ahead of yesterday's trials. 6) BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU'RE DOING Stay positive. Don't let others tell you that it can't be done or "your song sounds like two cats in a fight". You have to go through it to get to it. You may have to write ten lousy songs before you begin to write good songs. Don't let those ten lousy songs stop you! Learn from them! Nine times out of ten, a genius is simply a person who refused to give up!
Article by Will Landrum of http://www.willlandrum.com Will is helping thousands of on-line guitarists with his all original content web site, free guitar teaching eZine and growing line of instructional software and products.
If you're the first to email us with the correct answer to this musical question, you'll win your choice of an Akai GCF1 or an Akai KCF1. These are nifty little electronic keychain-style chord finders, for the guitar or keyboard. See the GCF1. Our monthly question
of musical muse is: Send your correct answer to us at kevin@guitarsam.com Congratulations to Joe Matera in Australia, and Rick Tintle in Vermont, USA, for quickly providing the first correct answer to our question, which was: What is the particularly unusual instrument featured in the following songs?
The answer was, most specifically, a Coral Sitar, which was made by Danelectro in the 60s. This six-string guitar-style instrument also had twelve "sympathetic" strings that were strung off to the side of the guitar, looking like a miniature autoharp. Alas, the sympathetic strings were not very sympathetic after all, and they really didn't work or even make much sound. The sitar effect came from the six-string bridge that was designed so that the strings would buzz against it, making a sitar-type sound when adjusted "just right". Joe answered first with "sitar", and Rick was the first to specify "Coral Sitar", sooo...they both win their choice of an Akai GCF1 or KCF1, which is a nifty little electronic keychain-style chord finder, for guitar or keyboard. See the GCF1 at http://www.guitarsam.com/catalog2/akai.htm#gcf1
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Watch for our next issue of the GuitarSam eZine, due on August 1, 2000.
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--Edly
answers:
Richard
Hunter is the author of "Jazz Harp", from Oak Publications.
Richard's recorded works include "The Act of Being Free in
One Act", which is the first full-length CD of works for
unaccompanied harmonica ever recorded, and "The Second Act
of Free Being", a CD that takes solo harmonica to a new
level. Check 
Our
newest feature is Guitar TechTalk, with
Chip Wilson in New Orleans. If you have
a question about guitar building, repair, or maintenance,
send it to us at 
For
those who prefer the tone of the trapeze, there are a
variety of differing yet valid styles and materials. A
large, heavily made brass tailpiece as seen on lofty
instruments such as Gibson L5s, Super 400s or
D’Angelico New Yorkers will sound different than an
ebony tailpiece as seen on many D’Aquisto influenced
modern archtop electrics. The brass is, well,
brassier…more definition, more of that classic rhythm
guitar “cut” acoustically and electrically, but
not as round and mellow sounding as the wood. I’ve made
a small cottage industry out of making wooden tailpieces for
jazzboxes whose owners are looking for a fatter
sound.
I
love the responses from readers of this column to my new
website at Play It Again Sam...66 Main St...Montpelier VT 05602...Phone (802) 229-0295...Fax (802) 229-0755